That's all from this one-sided contest, folks! Madhya Pradesh win by 62 runs to register their first win of the season, while Bihar lose two in two. For now, itβs me, Deepak Prakash, signing off on behalf of scorer/analyst Zeeshan Naiyer. CHEERS!
Player of the Match: Venkatesh Iyer
2:09 PM IST, Local Time: Bihar were bundled out for 112, handing MP a comprehensive 62-run victory and their first win of the season. It was a disappointing batting effort from Bihar as they slump to their second consecutive defeat.
Earlier, Madhya Pradesh recovered well to post 174/8 after a late surge of 33 runs in the final two overs. Their innings began on shaky ground, slipping to 43/4 inside the powerplay, but Harsh Gawli (50) and Venkatesh Iyer (55)* steadied the ship with a crucial 66-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Iyer accelerated in the latter half and remained unbeaten, ensuring MP crossed the 170 mark. Rahul Batham and Shivang Kumar contributed handy 12-run cameos down the order. For Bihar, Mohd Izhar was the standout, picking up four wickets, while Suraj Kashyap claimed the only other scalp. MP finish with a competitive total on the board. The innings started positively with quick contributions from Sakibul Gani (12 off 5), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (13 off 9) and Ayush Loharuka (12 off 10), but none could carry on. Bipin Saurabh led the resistance with a fluent 32 off 24, and alongside Piyush Singh (17 off 21), stitched a crucial 49-run stand for the fourth wicket to put Bihar in a stable position at 87/4. However, the game turned dramatically when Shivang Kumar broke the partnership and removed both set batters in the same over, triggering a collapse from which Bihar never recovered. From 87/3, they fell to 96/6 and eventually lost all ten wickets inside 19.2 overs. Akash Raj (14) and a few late-order batters tried to hold on, but Madhya Pradesh bowlers maintained pressure throughout. Shivang Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets, while Tripuresh Singh and Shivam Shukla grabbed two each. Rahul Batham and Venkatesh Iyer also chipped in with one apiece as MP wrapped up the innings clinically to earn their first win of the season.
W EDGED AND GONE! Bihar are folded for 112 runs, and MP win by 62 runs! Good length delivery just outside off. The batter pokes and only gets the thick outside edge, with the wicket-keeper taking an easy catch. An easy win for MP.
19.1 R Batham to M Izhar
0 Over the wicket. Fuller and outside the off-stump. Drives at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.